At its heart, Live For Real follows a young woman as she leaves the office and steps into the night. One moment she’s waiting at a bus stop, the next she’s lost in music and light — her realme 15 capturing every beat of her journey.
“We wanted to show how AI can elevate real life — how technology makes the ordinary feel cinematic,” says Alexis Odiowei, Creative Director at Vantage Pictures.
That idea crystallizes in a striking sequence where her outfit morphs from workwear to nightlife chic — a vibrant reflection of the phone’s own AI-powered transformations.
“The film isn’t really set in any specific era,” Bolandi explains. “It lives somewhere between the ’70s and ’80s — that Studio 54 energy — with a modern touch. The lighting, the wardrobe, the camera movement… everything was inspired by that world.”
The location at Nu Boyana Studios in Bulgaria, with its New York City backlot, became the perfect stand-in for that golden-age nightlife. “Even the entrance looked like Studio 54,” Bolandi laughs. “Once we lit it, it came alive — shimmering, colorful, and full of motion.”
Finding the right performer was another stroke of luck. The lead — discovered by a production assistant.
Bolandi encouraged her to improvise, letting the camera capture real spontaneity. “My process is about trust,” he says. “You build an environment where the performer can just be. That’s when something authentic happens.”
The Live For Real campaign rolls out globally — across Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Russia, South America, and India — in multiple formats, from hero film to verticals.
“It’s a film about energy,” says Odiowei. “About stepping into the night and being your truest self. Whether you’re in Mumbai or Madrid, that feeling is the same.”
For Bolandi, the project was deeply personal — a chance to recreate the nightlife he’s always admired.
“I truly live and breathe those eras,” he reflects. “Studio 54, the ’70s, that New York pulse — all updated with a modern twist. Honestly, that’s the kind of world I’d want to live in. That’s how I see my parties.”
